Let's talk crash dieting...

[Brightwhite]

I know this isn't (and for good reason) a very desirable topic, but I think there could be some constructive learnings to come out of this for what works and what doesn't.

Let me explain...I am in a weight loss challenge with a few co-workers. The pot is $1,000 each, winner take all, based on percentage of weight loss. Not body fat lost, just weight loss.

I have lost 9 pounds since we kicked off the bet 2-3 months back. The official weighing is in 21 days, so I need to seriously consider crash dieting for 3 weeks if I want $10k added to my bank account, not $1k lighter. I think I need to come in another 15-20 pounds lighter (including water weight loss) for the weigh-in to have a shot.

My biggest issue is traveling for work, but I think the first thing I will do is cut out all drinking for 21 days and I will just have to be crazy strict on my diet (for those of you that travel know how tough this can be...).

So, lets hear what you guys have done or suggest to do if you had 20 pounds to lose in 21 days....gotta make weight!

 

[Scot E]

I'll give you my simple health routine. It's not a diet but will produce the results you desire with ease for most people.

All raw diet of fruits and veggies! Don't eat until 9am, lunch around 11-12, small snack for an early dinner at 5pm or earlier. The earlier the better.

Lots of water! fresh squeezed juice morning and evening. I like 1 orange and 1 lemon with a bit of stevia! Delicious!

Don't eat after 6pm ever! Eat just enough protein to feel good and cook it as little as possible if its meat. I like easily digestible proteins so eggs are my top choice. I need more depending on the exercise I am doing so just pay attention and your body will tell you. But don't listen to the cravings! As little oils as possible so very few nuts and dressings. No sauces. Stay away from all sugars, carbs and drinks, and chemicals. Chemicals kill fat loss.

Morning exercise of some kind to get the blood pumping for all day. Some at night too if you can. I will lose 2-3 lbs a day on this for the first week or so then it stabilizes to around a pound or so but you can bump that up with exercise.

The real benefit to this way of eating is unlimited energy, clarity of mind, physical endurance, better sleep, and overall health for long term life. I was sure I was the exception to the body fat index, BMI, and every other chart I saw until I started eating real food, raw food. Life changing!

Good Luck!

 

[COlineman78]

I successfully lost over 100 lbs in 4 months through a form of crash dieting and have mostly kept it off (although a foot surgery has gotten me back into some bad habits). I cut out all alcohol as this is a major contributor. I also cut myself to 1500-1600 cals/day while doing an hour of hard cardio every day with no exception. it takes a week to really get going, but I was losing more than 10lbs/week at the peak. Some may say this is an unhealthy rate of loss, but I would think it would be more unhealthy for every day I remained at 350lbs. I did use one supplement called MX-LS7 from iSatori. I also practiced "front loading" in that 1000-1200 cals of my daily allotment were consumed before 1pm. Doing this also allowed me to eat a semi-normal lunch so I didn't give up everything I loved and could still eat a lot of normal meals for lunch.

I exercised an hour or 2 before bed due to my schedule, which was hard to get used to at first and led to a few sleepless nights.

 

[Scot E]

I would also add to my above post, no caffeine or salt. A little sea salt is fine but no table salt.

 

[wapitibob]

I lost 20# in the first month I was on medifast. Down almost 40 in less than 3. Weak as hell and couldn't shoot my bow. A few years earlier I lost 50# in 10 weeks on Adkins.

 

[5MilesBack]

Think about what happens when you get the flu. I haven't had it in years, but the last time I got it I lost 17lbs in 3 days and I don't have weight to give. I wasn't throwing up or losing it out the back end, I just wasn't eating. So minimize your intake, and 20lbs shouldn't be a problem over a 3 week period. Or increase the heck out of your activity level......last year lost 19lbs in 20 days of elk hunting. Or do a combination of both.......which is what we should be doing every day anyway. As for cutting out the alcohol........well that's a no-brainer.

 

[bobhunts]

Good info here. I lost about 15 lbs by just not drinking any alcohol and not eating before bed. no Pizza just raw foods or stir fried veggies and meat and nothing after 6 pm. Gonna have to do it again this weekend to restart. Gained about 10 lbs during rifle season eating steak and pasta meals for a week with lots of campfire stories that include the drinks. I can loose about 1 lb a day by doing this for two to three weeks without doing any kind of workouts other than busting my butt at work.

 

[Dhois]

IIRC, Tim Ferriss recommended no carbs, no fruit, no added sugar, no drink with a calorie. Some people lost crazy weight with that. I lost 5 lbs in a week when I started the Wim Hoff Method (deep breathing routine followed by exercise without breathing and then cold water immersion. WHM is not a diet but it sure has done something for me.

 

[Brightwhite]

Thanks everyone. I am cutting out booze and carbs (other than veggies) from now until then. I am also reading up on 5 day programs that fighters follow to drop 20-30 pounds to cut weight.

Front load water, then cut out all the salt and lower water intake each day while using mild diuretics.

I have some dandelion root and potassium supplements on the way and also ordered one of those cheesy plastic suits to do cardio in a few days out to start shedding water.

 

[Scot E]

Just an opinion, Cutting water weight is a very short term fix and actually inhibits your bodies ability to process and eliminate waste and chemicals, much of which is held in your fat cells. It also slows fat loss. When your organs aren't working properly your whole body suffers. Drinking more water will do more for fat loss when exercising and eating right than eliminating water ever will. Even if you are front loading water in the mornings.

I would suggest eliminating all the diuretics including the amount in drinks and foods and pound the water. Let your body do its work. With healthy foods, exercise, and some supplements your body will lose lots of weight.

Then at the end, a day or so before your weigh in, you can shed all of your water weight.

I recognize that some of my suggestions come from a "what is really best for your body" line of thinking and not the "I'm in a competition for $10k" mindset. Having said that if I were in your shoes I would still do exactly what I say and then use diuretics and the hot suit at the end.

Whatever you do, Good Luck!

 

[COlineman78]

Cutting water weight this far out will put a lot of unnecessary stress on your body and might hurt your other efforts. I'd wait till the last 3 days or less before you dehydrate yourself. Water is the best way to make yourself not hungry. If you are exercising enough you will be dehydrated anyways. Also, I found that the best thing wasn't to cut out carbs, but instead just cut out processed carbs, so whole grain is still acceptable. Rice is also a low cal way of making yourself full. I would sometimes just eat a big bowl of rice if I was hungry. I noticed that I would gain 10 lbs in water weight as soon as I stopped working out so hard daily. Personally I think it's dangerous to keep yourself dehydrated for an entire month.

 

[Bulldawg]

If it were me and I just wanted to lose 15-20 pounds I wouldn't do anything until a week out then lose it.. But if I was trying to win 10k I would probably lose 30-40 pounds (if that was possible for me) and start right away. It sucks but you gotta work your a$$ off and eat next to nothing everyday and there are no cheat days. Gotta be in dang good shape to make it happen cause weight won't just fall off you gotta work it off.

I've seen someone lose 25 in little less than a week but my personal best is 15 in about 2 days

 

[Brightwhite]

Just an opinion, Cutting water weight is a very short term fix and actually inhibits your bodies ability to process and eliminate waste and chemicals, much of which is held in your fat cells. It also slows fat loss. When your organs aren't working properly your whole body suffers. Drinking more water will do more for fat loss when exercising and eating right than eliminating water ever will. Even if you are front loading water in the mornings.

I would suggest eliminating all the diuretics including the amount in drinks and foods and pound the water. Let your body do its work. With healthy foods, exercise, and some supplements your body will lose lots of weight.

Then at the end, a day or so before your weigh in, you can shed all of your water weight.

I recognize that some of my suggestions come from a "what is really best for your body" line of thinking and not the "I'm in a competition for $10k" mindset. Having said that if I were in your shoes I would still do exactly what I say and then use diuretics and the hot suit at the end.

Whatever you do, Good Luck!

Yes, I should have been more clear. The water rationing and diuretics will only be used 4-5 days (maybe even 3 depending on my work travel) before the weigh in. This would just be for the "win" not for long terms weight loss.

For now I am hydrating normally, watching and restricting calories, 6-8 meals/snacks per day...fasted cardio in the morning, then sometimes more cardio in the evening.

 

[Brightwhite]

Cutting water weight this far out will put a lot of unnecessary stress on your body and might hurt your other efforts. I'd wait till the last 3 days or less before you dehydrate yourself. Water is the best way to make yourself not hungry. If you are exercising enough you will be dehydrated anyways. Also, I found that the best thing wasn't to cut out carbs, but instead just cut out processed carbs, so whole grain is still acceptable. Rice is also a low cal way of making yourself full. I would sometimes just eat a big bowl of rice if I was hungry. I noticed that I would gain 10 lbs in water weight as soon as I stopped working out so hard daily. Personally I think it's dangerous to keep yourself dehydrated for an entire month.

I was misunderstood....I am only talking about cutting water weight a couple of days prior to the weigh in.

 

[Brightwhite]

If it were me and I just wanted to lose 15-20 pounds I wouldn't do anything until a week out then lose it.. But if I was trying to win 10k I would probably lose 30-40 pounds (if that was possible for me) and start right away. It sucks but you gotta work your a$$ off and eat next to nothing everyday and there are no cheat days. Gotta be in dang good shape to make it happen cause weight won't just fall off you gotta work it off.

I've seen someone lose 25 in little less than a week but my personal best is 15 in about 2 days

Yep, I have lost 9 pounds...probably down to 10 pounds now with some good days of eating and lots of cardio. So I have a start...I am just talking about losing the next 15-20 pounds so I can give myself a shot at winning.

Most of the guys haven't really started doing shit...I would say I have a leg up on most of them. One guy has been crushing it, but he was pretty big to start (20, maybe 30 pounds bigger than me)...so I think if I could come in with 30-35 pounds lost, I would be a winner, or damn close.

 

[jpolson]

Tapeworm.

 

[Brightwhite]

Tapeworm.

Or the flu....kind of hoping for the flu to be honest. That would keep me off of airplanes for a few weeks and would accomplish the weightless thing for sure!

 

[mtswampfox]

lots of good info here. will add my big loss in late 2011 into 2012. almost fifty pounds total for the twelve months. the two a days on the tread mill early am and just before bed were the key. 30-45 minutes each session with gradual increase in walking speed never did run or even jog just walk. stopped all alcohol and never went back to it, putting the third shift at jack daniels distillery out of business. been trying to drop another 10 or so ever since without luck but in reality have not really tried cause it can be done

 

[jpolson]

If you're going to drink...then go red wine. Low calorie. Roughly 500 cal in a bottle of dry red.

 

[Stid2677]

I dropped about 50 pounds from end of May to the 1st of Aug and since dropped another 15 pounds.

I started intermittent fasting, I eat nothing after 8pm until noon the next day. I exercise while in a fasted state, I drink NO calories, no alcohol, I cut almost all sugar (hard to avoid it totally because it is in everything) ate a high protein, low carb, low fat diet. I ate mostly eggs and chicken and turkey. After the first 21 days off the sugar the cravings went away. Drank lots of water with lemon.

When you get close you can cut the water and use a plastic suit and sauna to dehydrate yourself. This can be very dangerous, so use caution. Google how fighters cut before a fight.

http://www.nerdfitness.com/blog/2013/08/06/a-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting/

Good luck